Paint quality

[Devman]

I've done 2k in my white Leon mk3 and have picked up some pretty big chips. I've never know anything like it. A few minor scratches too. Does anyone have a product recommendation to get these chips n scratches out? I've never had great success in the past so am wary of making things worse.
Cheers

 

[Si FR]

Just noticed a nice white scratch on the bonnet of my lovely red car. Only washed and polished it on Saturday and it definitely wasn't there then!

 

[TonyFSC]

So far, the best paint finish ever, Emocian Red; very new though.

 

[perkman1969]

So far, the best paint finish ever, Emocian Red; very new though.

Get a clear wrap on the front end quick mate! Wish I had done it before the damage was done as only way I could do it now would be to have a smart repair at some expense and wrap it immediately.

 

[Rob66]

Interesting thread.

Funnily enough i was out with the GF on Saturday and there was Black Ibiza, Red MK3 Leon and a Black Renault Clio all in a row and all '13' Plates. None were spotlessly clean all had the same amount of grubbyness. What was really obvious and i was a little shocked though was how 'deep' the paint on the Clio looked compared to the SEATs (the Clio didnt appear to have been looked after any better than the 2 SEATs - child seat in the back scuffed wheels etc). The different in perseeved paint quality appeared to be huge - even the GF could tell the difference .

All i can put this down to it that the Clio does have a lot better paint or the smooth lines of the Clio enhance the deep gloss look of paint which is lost on the sharp lines of both the new Leon and the Ibiza.

The Red paint on my Mk2 (more rounded lines) does 'look better' than some Mk3s i have seen but suffers equally from stone chips on the bonnet..

As mentioned by Perkman i think a clear bonnet wrap is a good idea from new.

 

[Famandy1]

Yes I did consider something along the lines of Ventureshield, which I had on a car a few years ago to good effect, but decided to have a Gtechniq new car paint treatment instead, not sure I have made the right decision now.................!!

 

[Aardvark]

Phantom black, 23,000 miles in 16 months and always a minimum 3 second gap on motorways.

Never had a car that scratches just by looking at it. Stone chips??? I think some of mine are caused by hard noses Leeds bluebottles and moths!!

I have had black BMWs with 80,000 and fewer chips and scratches and the same with Audi in black and Vauxhall in flame red. I had 3 silver Avensis that I could wash with a brillo and not scuff up like mine.

I touch mine in every week and polish every wash, two buckets plus snow foam.....

I think I can even cause a deep scratch with just a finger nail, let alone anything hard.

A single twig on a bush on the Leeds ring road ended up needing a 4 panel mechanical polish and I can still see it at certain angles.

I have no idea how bad it will be before I actually own it outright.

 

[robin cur]

coming up to 3k no stone chips but paint looks crap in sun light just full of swirl marks and scratches.

 

[BigfatPaulie]

My Red Leon had a few black spots, which I tried to power wash away.... turns out to be holes in the paint !

Got some paint off ebay which is bang on the colour, but the repairs are lees than perfect due to the original paint being so thin - I was amazed that they got it on the car, its like cling film ffs :-(

 

[Mr Pig]

Those little touch-up pens are rubbish by the way. Like trying to paint with porridge! The best way I've found to fill in scratches is to buy a tin of spray paint, your local paint supplier will be able to make you up a tin.

Shake the can, as you do, then spray a little paint into the lid, or any other handy plastic receptacle. Then use a small artists brush to quickly drip and paint the hole before the paint starts to thicken.

This works a heck of a lot better than the pen things. As the paint is nice and thin you can fill the chip up to the surface without painting the surrounding area. If you're lucky it turns out pretty neat.

 

[JamMonkey]

My Apollo Blue is marked heavier than my speed blue but, my speed blue has more parking door opening idiots marks..

I got kits for both cars from Paints4U work a treat and only £20 you get pot of paint, cleaner polish cloth sandpaper and little arrow cotton buds for applying the paint and you can get more cotton spears from them as well.

Not at all impressed with the paint on the Mark3.

 

[Orbiter]

Dark blue apollo top coat has a white base coat! The red colour also has a white base coat, Why? Surely a base coat either grey or red would be more appropriate as they used to be a few years ago.

 

[Mr Pig]

Dark blue apollo top coat has a white base coat! The red colour also has a white base coat, Why?

What a stupid question. Because that's what Eduardo had in the machine, obviously! ;0)

 

[paulolourenco76]

Dark blue apollo top coat has a white base coat! The red colour also has a white base coat, Why? Surely a base coat either grey or red would be more appropriate as they used to be a few years ago.

I think the white basecoat makes the brighter colour look more vibrant. Darker colours have a darker basecoat

Sent from my LG-D855 using Tapatalk

 

[nimdy]

This thread is getting me a bit worried. My 5DR FR is due to be delivered at the end of the month. I currently have a 2010 Audi A3. Will I notice a difference in paint quality? The Audi has done well with 5 years of use and a few run-ins with supermarket bashes to the doors. Both my current car and new car are black.

 

[yellowcone87]

My phantom black ST is in a bit of state paint wise, much to my embarrassment. It's done 16k and is one year old this month.

I think it's really poor quality paint. Just as Aardvark said above, it seems like every time you touch it the paintwork gains a new scratch. I had a Nissan before the Leon, and a Volvo before that. Both of those stood up far better to identical treatment. The Volvo had over 50k on it by the time I got rid and there wasnt a mark on it, save for a tiny little scuff mark where a shopping trolley bumped it.

The front of my ST is literally covered in small chips and scratches... And don't get me started on the door pillar trims! It looks like a three year old car already if I'm being honest.

 

[Mr Pig]

Our metallic white ST has about 5K on it and so far it's unmarked. No stone chips or scratches.

Well, except for some scratches on the roof! I didn't notice them when I collected the car, it had been raining so the car was wet. Noticed them as soon as I got home and mailed the dealer and they didn't want to know. "All our cars go through a five-million point check...blah, blah blah".

 

[Raymondo111]

Those little touch-up pens are rubbish by the way. Like trying to paint with porridge! The best way I've found to fill in scratches is to buy a tin of spray paint, your local paint supplier will be able to make you up a tin.

Shake the can, as you do, then spray a little paint into the lid, or any other handy plastic receptacle. Then use a small artists brush to quickly drip and paint the hole before the paint starts to thicken.

This works a heck of a lot better than the pen things. As the paint is nice and thin you can fill the chip up to the surface without painting the surrounding area. If you're lucky it turns out pretty neat.

A trick I learned a long while ago was to use wooden toothpicks to just apply minute amounts of paint into the chips and then build the paint up gradually, as you quite rightly say the brushes in the the touch up pens are too big and you get paint on the surrounding surfaces as well as the chip. I used this method today and the colour match is pretty good (Seat Kit) I just need to wait until its a bit cooler to build the layers up and then finish with clear coat.

 

[marty_34]

agree with raymondo this is the method i use, key to it is making sure you take your time

always keep a cloth close by to flick off any excess paint

had a mk2 that was pebbledashed on bonnet, the mk3 is improvement but not great

 

[KenTT]

I don't think Seat are particularly worse for paint damage. If stones can chip windscreen glass, they sure as hell are going to chip any manufacturers car paint, end of.

I try to minimise stone damage by following at a greater distance, (or overtake) where I can, but it's still going to happen from time to time.

Our MK dealer very kindly got in and gave us a touchup stick.